Analog and Barograph Barometers

1. A barometer might not take the place of your 10-day forecast, but it can keep you up to speed on short-term weather forecasts. Barometers can use air, water, or mercury to measure atmospheric pressure, which can keep you apprised of changing weather.

2. Barometers can be confusing to the untrained eye, but can be just as accurate - and less annoying - than your local weatherman. Rising pressure on a barometer usually indicates sunny skies are headed your way, while a barometer's falling pressure means you'd better best out your umbrella for a good chance of rain.

3. Not every type of atmospheric pressure looks the same, and neither do barometers. Narrow down your selection by deciding what type of barometer you're looking for. There are two common types of barometers to choose from: mercury barometers and aneroid barometers. We offer mainly aneroid barometers, which don't use liquid to produce a reading.

4. Good things come in small packages, including analog barometers. Analog barometers, also known as aneroid barometers, use no water, which means there's nothing to spill. And because they don't use mercury, analog barometers are a safer option.

5. Beauty and function in one compact box? Welcome to a barograph. A barograph is an elegant analog barometer designed to provide a record of weather patterns. The barograph records a continuous graph of barometric pressure over time on a spool of paper, providing a visual record for owners.

6. Barometric pressure can be read in a number of ways by weather instruments. The most common of these is in inches of mercury (often transcribed to a dial or digital readout), or in millibars.

7. Digital barometers are perfect for going out into the field. Many digital barometers can retain readings over the previous day, and you can compare hourly readings, too.

8. When using your barometer as a forecasting weather instrument, you should know that the absolute reading at any given time is not the most important aspect. Rather, the rate of change on the barometer.

9. Keeping an eye on atmospheric pressure doesn't have to throw a kink in your design scheme. Barometers come in variety of styles and finishes, including black, brass, brown, and silver, so you can take the pressure out of choosing a color and keep it where it belongs.